🏛️ Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps
Serial archaeological sites spanning five millennia of Alpine settlement
📋 Fast Facts
- 111 archaeological sites across six Alpine countries (Switzerland, Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Slovenia)
- Occupation period: approximately 5000–500 BCE (Neolithic and Bronze Age)
- 56 sites located in Switzerland; remainder distributed across Austrian, German, French, Italian, and Slovenian territories
- Exceptionally preserved organic remains provide detailed evidence of early agrarian life and environmental interaction
This serial UNESCO World Heritage property comprises 111 small individual archaeological sites encompassing the remains of prehistoric pile-dwelling (or stilt house) settlements built on the edges of lakes, rivers, and wetlands in and around the Alps. Spanning approximately 4,500 years of human habitation from around 5000 to 500 BCE, the sites represent one of Europe's most significant sources of evidence for understanding Neolithic and Bronze Age communities. Excavations at selected locations ...